Iranian Mauser

I travel quite a bit. And as a habit, I am always eyeing stuff that interests me. Nothing new, right? We all do it. But in my case, it’s always guns.

Even if the pistol, rifle, shotgun, zip-gun, sub-gun, machine-gun isn’t of high quality, I always try to score some intelligence and info on it. Is it real or a copy? What condition is it in? Loaded? Extra mags or ammo? Sling? How it it carried? Etc. Yes, people that have traveled with me will attest that I am “notorious” for surreptitiously photographing weapons or people armed with them.

Iranian / Persian Mauser. Notice the stock wrapping.

Pro-tip: Eventually you will get caught and the catchers usually don’t try to be congenial about it. So keep that in mind, if you are traveling with other people. You might get them wrapped up in jam they don’t see coming. Expect to get arrested, robbed, assaulted, or “fined”. This isn’t a hobby for pussies.

Persian Mauser

Pro-tip 2: Outside the United States, generally cops are people to avoid. So striking up a friendly a conversation with some 3rd world police officer about his service weapons puts you in the fast lane Trouble-ville. I’ll say it again, this isn’t a hobby for pussies.

These pics?

I have never been to Iran. Or what was back in the day was known as “Persia”. All my Iranian friends and acquaintances like to be referred to as “Persian” since the rise of the Ayatollah’s. Can’t really blame them. I’m sure walking around the US as a Ex-Pat Iranian in 1979 was a barrel of laughs. Not.

Intersting scope mount

But one of my Persian friends sent me these pictures of what appears to be a early 20th Century Mauser converted to a civilian hunting application. He tells me they surfaced in a Farsi language website a few months back. And since they had local guns in them, he figured what the hell?

The Rifle

European produced Persian Mauser I Assume? Caliber? My friend didn’t find out. I would guess 7 or 8mm Mauser. But check out the scope. American made Leupold (cough…cough…sanctions…cough..cough).

And check out the scope mount. It doesn’t seem to be mounted on the bridge and the ring. But possibly down in the sides of the receiver? And look at the relief cut to facilitate magazine reloading.

Iranian citizen reported to own this rifle

Iranian citizen reported to own this rifle

I think it’s a neat gun. Not saying I have any desire to ever visit Iran. It’s gotta be down there with DPRK at the bottom of my bucket list. But this rifle certainly looks interesting to me. I wonder if the person pictured is a “gun guy” and we could actually “talk” for 5 minutes with trying to kill each other?